Car coupler



Patented Feb. '98, i927.

teresa? yis eine. l

JOHN WrLLisoN, or CLEVELAND, orare, Assrenon, er inserm assiomarinus,'ro

NATIONAL MALLEABLE AND CASTINGS conronnfrion orA omo.

company?, or oLnvnLAnn' omo, A

CAP GOULULER.

Applieation filed August, 1921. Serial No. 490,233.

Fig. l is a plan of a pair of couplers Vembodying my invention ininterlocked yor' coupled position; Figs. 2 and 2fL are elevations ofopposite sides of a single coupler; F i gs. '3 and 4 areV plans ofcouplers angled to eXtreme positions to the left and right,respectively; Fig. 5 `is a plan showing the couplers guided into partialbuiiing position; Fig'. 6 is a plan showing` the coupler in full buiiing,position and also the operation of the uncoupling` mechanism; Fig. '7is a plan showing the operation of the uncoupling mechanism; and Fig. 8shows a modified form of uncoupling' mechanism.

My invention relates to'couplers of the vertical plane` type, andcomprises a coupler which interioclis with the opposing coupler headwithout employing any ofthe usual movable parts such as knuckles orlocks. My improved coupler is also provided with mea-ns' for effecting,rthe uncoupling of the interlocked heads. My invention further comprisesthe'various features which I sha-ll hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, A and B indicate the opposing coupler heads,each of which has rigid jaws or hooks 2 and 3 and a` connecting' buiiingface 4 inclined at an angle .ler has a recess 5 to the rear of the jaw 2to receive the complementary jaw 3 on the opposing coupler andpermittheir respective pulling faces G and 7 to become engaged. Thesepulling faces 6 and 7 areset at such an angle to the center line of thecoupler that'when these faces are engaged and lhe couplers are underdraft they will tend to swing toward each other. In' buff, also, theinclination of the 'buiiing faces 4 tends to swing` the couplers towardeach other, but they are maintained in proper alignment by he faces 8 ofthe jaws 2 bearing againstv the faces 9 on the jaws 3.

As the couplers come together the vertical faces 10 on the jaws 2 andthe faces4 will guide the jaws 3 into the nacessesk 5 inthe rear of thejaws 2, and when draft is plied thcpulling` faces 6 on the jaws 2 willengage the correspondingfaces on the jaws 3, which form reentrant angleswith the faces 8 on these jaws.

Each coupler is provided with an uncoupling member ll, which is Ymounted in a transversely extending slot 12 in the coupler shank justback of the coupler head rand is prevented from removal therefrom 'by.any suitable means, such as a pin and slot connection 13, by which theuncoupling` member` allow the member ll to slide rearwardly intoinoperative position after .the uncoupling operation has been completed.

When the couplers in moving` together bufi' inthe extreme angledpositionshown in Fig.

23, the engagement of the ends of the bufting faces 4 on the jaws 3causesthese faces to slide to thc right along each other through theposition 'shown in Fig., 5` into .the full buiiing;` position lshown inFig. 6, with the jaws 3 in the recess 5 vof the` jaw2. Then, when draftis applied, the face '7 of the jaw 3 pulls forward againstvthe "face 6of the jaw 2 and the couplers are thus brought into locked positionshown in Fig. 1. l/lilhen the couplers meet in the extreme angledposition shown in Fig. 4 they are .swung to the left until the jaws2clear the jaws' and then the boiling' faces 4 guide the jaws 3 into the'recesses', as has just been described above.

In uncouphng, the Vcouplers are buffcdl to full buedposition, as shownin 6, and

then either one of the uncoupling'members 1l is swung; over and pushedforward into the position in the recess 16 indicated byv the dottedlines in Fig. 6. Then, when *thel couplers are under draft, the pointVof'the jaw 2 will rideV along' the rear Vfacewof the unccaipling`member4 l1 and be preventedfrcm interlocking with the jaw 3, andthecouplers `will swing away from each other until the jaws V2 clear the jawsv 3. rl`he uncoupling member 11, as soon as it is relieved from the.

Vpressure .from the point'l'of the jaw 2,

slides rearwardly down the incline 14 into the position shown in Figs. 3and 4 and during subsequent coupling` movements is pushed back` out ofthe way by the jaw 2,

as is shown in the full lineposition of the uncouplingr memberin Figs.6Y and 7.

In Fig'. 8 l have shown a modified form of my invention in ,which theuncoupling member 11 is mounted in a slct in the jaw 2. ln this form themember 11 in advanced position fills in the reentrant angle in theformed bythe surfaces G and 8, and thereby prevents the face 7 of thejaw 3 from engaging the face 6 of the jaw 2.

My invention is of great advantage, since it dispenses with the use ofthe usual knuckles and locks but nevertheless provides a light', strongand compactcoupler of 'etitreme simplicity which can be readily coupledor uncoupled. llfhile no positive lock is provided, the couplers can notpull apart unintentionally unless they are first buifed together to takeup the contour slacli, and then while pulling apart one or both mustslide laterally against the friction of the carry iron. As this lateralmotion of the coupler is always opposed by friction of the carry iron,and as the couplers are non mally forced laterally into full couplingposition every time they are buffed, so that their pulling hooks arelined up to engage under draft, it is impossible to conceive accidentalparting of the couplers under noi'- mal service conditions.

The terms and expressions which l have employed are used asl terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and l have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding` any mechanical equivalentsof the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognizethat various structural modifications are possible within the scope ofthe invention claimed.

wWhat I claim is: Y

1. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a plurality of jawsintegral therewith, a cavity on the inner side of one of said jawshaving reentrant angles arranged to receive a complementary jaw of asimilarly formed coupler head, each ofsaid A first named jaws havingacutely angled sui'- faces for interlocking' with` the complementaryjaws on the opposing coupler head.

2. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a plurality of jaws,one of said jaws being of hook shape and ar 1anged to receivewithin thebight of the hoolt a jaw of a similarly vformed coupler head, and theother rof sai-d jaws being formed to fit into thev bight of ahook-shaped jaw on the opposing coupler head,.the said jaws havingacutely angled faces comprising means for interengaging and holding' thecoupler heads together.

3. A coupler head of the vertical. plane type having a laterallyextending bufiing face, a plurality of pulling jaws arranged to receiveand engage complementary jaws of an opposing coupler for effectingcoupling, and an uncoupling mechanism comprising` a member insertableinto one of the said jaws to prevent the complementary jaw on theopposing coupler from entering and interlocking therewith.

4. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a plurality of jaws,one of said jaws having a recess therein, a similarly jaws having arecess on its rear sidepar-v ranged to receive a complementary jaw on asimilarly formed coupler head for effecting a coupling, and anuncoupling member mounted in said coupler head and movable Ytransversely thereof into said recess to prevent coupling. A

6. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a plurality ofinterlocking jaws, one jaw having a recess on its rear side and theother a projectonon its forward side, bufling faces on 'each jaw andalso a baiting face between the jaws, said builing faces being arrangedto engage complementary ouiiing faces on a similarly formed opposingcoupler and move said jaws laterally into position to engage acomplementary project-ion and a complementary recess on the opposingcoupler.

'i'. il coupler head of the vertical plane type having a pair of jawseach having' a pair of acutely angled pulling faces, Ya clearance spaceto the rear of each suchpair of fac-es arranged to give room forcompleinentaiy jaws on an opposing` couple-r head having' similarlyformed faces, anden inclined bufting face between said jaws comprisingmeans for bringing the said acutely angled faces into position forengagement.

S. A coupler head of the vertical plane type having a laterallyextending' bufhng face, a plurality of jaws Yhaving a pulling engagementwith complementary jaws of an opposing coupler lfor effecting coupling,a guiding' face uponrtlie forward side of one of said jaws, the plane ofsaid guiding face being in advance of the forwardmost portion of theother of said aws.

9. A coupler' head'of the vertical plane type having a laterally"extending4 buffing face, a plurality of pulling jaws arranged toreceive and engage complementary jaws of an opposing coupler foreffecting coupling, one of said jaws being located forwardly of theother, guiding faces on the forward side of each of saidjaws, theguiding face of the forwardmost jaw being of vgreater lateral extentthan the distance between said jaws for the purpose of bridging thespace between the jaws of an opposing coupling and thereby guide saidcouplers into coupling position.

JOHN lVlLLlSON.

